Mythic creatures: Victoria Lopez de Araneta

Because she has so many descendants in Manila and abroad, her life story is constantly retold. And because she wrote a priceless memoir during her sunset years, future generations, family and otherwise, will have the privilege of knowing the truly remarkable lady.

The life of Victoria Lopez de Araneta was not a fairy tale, as commonly perceived by the younger generations; she was a flesh-and-blood woman of substance who triumphed over the turbulent times she lived through. Although she never lacked for resources, indeed was affluent, throughout her long life, she found it challenging, even difficult, from the start to the finish. She was born in 1907 to the sugar planter Eusebio Lopez y Villanueva and to the beautiful heiress Ana Ledesma y Villalobos. During her early years, she was raised in Manila by her aunt Carmen Lopez and uncle Atty. Salvador Laguda, whom she held with the utmost affection all her life. It was the emergent time when the sugar fortunes of the Lopez family of Iloilo were burgeoning in all directions, making them among the richest in the Visayas and even in Manila. Victoria was educated, along with the other “herederas” from Iloilo, at the Assumption Convent in Manila, the school of choice for the daughters of the rich. She enjoyed an active social life, often chaperoned by her first cousin Eugenio “Ening” Lopez y Hofilena [ who would become the postwar tycoon Eugenio Lopez Sr.. ]. Victoria Lopez y Ledesma married the young Atty. Salvador Araneta y Zaragoza of the prominent Manila family in 1927 and the two happily settled into a preordained life of business, philanthropy, and society [ in that order ]; they built a lovely European-style home, the famous “Victoneta 1933” in Mandaluyong, one of Manila’s most splendid residences during prewar. Salvador and Victoria had five daughters: Maria del Carmen, Ana Marie, Maria Victoria, Maria Lina, and Maria Regina.

She founded the charitable White Cross Society with good friends like Mercedes Zobel de McMicking. Like the leading ladies of the day, she went to the pioneering Filipina couturieres Pacita Longos, Purita Escurdia, Mary Esteban, Mina Roa, and the young Ramon Valera for her traditional “ternos.” The couple hosted elegant gatherings for their family and friends — who made up most of established Manila society — at their villa and were noted for them.

World War II shattered Salvador and Victoria’s comfortable life, as it did everyone else’s. Amidst the hardships and horrors of war, she found within herself the courage, the pragmatism, not to mention the quick wits to survive it all. Victoria sold her beautiful dresses, shoes, bed linens, curtains, etc.. She engaged in the buy – and – sell of everyday necessities from the Admiral apartments along Dewey boulevard so she could gather food for her family. She packed away her remaining possessions and carted them off for storage at the White Cross. She bade farewell to her beautiful “Victoneta 1933” and had a premonition that she would never see it again, that it would be destroyed. Then the family left Manila and headed for Baguio to be with the Araneta and the Lopez clans, where after a few transfers they eventually ended up in primitive huts in the faraway mountains of Long-Long. “Victoneta 1933” had the misfortune of being destroyed at the war’s end by a bomb left by the Japanese in the chapel; about 70 people were killed. In early April of 1945, the Aranetas and the Lopezes embarked on a five-day trek on foot [ !!! ] through thirteen mountains to seek safety in the American territory in Tubao, La Union.

After World War II, Victoria Lopez de Araneta became a changed woman, with all the positive attributes of entrepreneurship, industriousness, frugality, social conscience, and charity retained but much of her youthful frivolities gone. It seemed that, with the sales of her couture dresses during the war, her luxe mindset went as well. As much as she upheld and maintained correctness and elegance in her appearance postwar, still wearing the traditional “terno” as she managed her multifarious businesses every day, and despite her rapidly expanding fortunes, she declined to indulge in the luxury and extravagance of the wardrobe of her prewar days, when she was a cynosure of fashion in Manila. After the war, Victoria finally came into her own, with several significant accomplishments, and she did not have to prove anything to anyone. With characteristic independence, she preferred to design and create her own “ternos,” assisted by Simeona, her seamstress-in-residence at her new home in Malabon, “Victoneta II” better known as the “White House.”

The 1950s – 60s saw Victoria Lopez de Araneta at her professional zenith. It was during that time that the couple established RFM Republic Flour Mills, FEATI Industries, AIA Feed Mills, Republic Soya, Premier Paper, Rizal Lighterage Corporation, Republic Consolidated, and Conglomerate Securities and Financing Corporation, Araneta University [ from the AIA Araneta Institute of Agriculture founded in 1946 ], FEATI University [ from the FEATI Institute of Technology founded in 1946 ], FEATI Bank & Trust Company [ later Citytrust Bank ]. From 1950 – 52, she was the president of both the FEATI Institute of Technology and the AIA. In 1960, she became the president of the FEATI University, a position which she held until 1981. Aside from those responsibilities, Victoria had many involvements: a stake at Central Lopez in Sagay, Negros Occidental [ as a daughter of Eusebio Lopez y Villanueva ]; national chairman of the NEPA National Economic Protectionism Association Women’s chapter from 1934-60s; treasurer of FEATI [ Far Eastern Air Transportation Inc.; formerly INAEC ] in 1945, board member of FEATI Institute of Technology [ popularly known as Far Eastern School of Aeronautics ] in 1945 ; far-ranging real estate developments; supported the charitable White Cross and the Zonta club. She was awarded the Doctor of Business Administration, “honoris causa,” by the PWU Philippine Women’s University in recognition of her business and management achievements. She had been awarded by the Catholic church the “Pro Ecclesia e Pontifice,” the “Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta,” and the “Order of Malta, Cross of Merit” for her considerable contributions. And, last but not the least, as a Lopez lady, she was a most formidable negotiator in business. She was, and is still, often described by Lopez family members as “multidimensional” as well as a “multitasker.”

Salvador and Victoria Araneta were visiting their daughters in San Francisco when President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law on 21 September 1972. They decided to remain there in self – imposed exile until martial law would be lifted, but it became apparent that it would become a protracted situation. For the second time in their lives, they bid their elegant home — this time “Victoneta II” or the “White House” in Malabon — goodbye. Salvador Araneta was a man of uncompromisingly high ideals and was a vocal critic of President Marcos, so a return to Manila was not advisable; immediately after the declaration of martial law, a group of soldiers had already come to the Admiral looking for him. From San Francisco, the couple transferred to Vancouver in Canada in 1975. It was there that they spent their last years, in the company of family, treasured possessions, and memories. Salvador continued his intellectual and altruistic pursuits, wrote prodigiously about political affairs, conferred endlessly with visiting intelligentsia and politicos from Manila, traveled all over the United States to discuss his ideas, ceaselessly discoursed on the possible solutions to the manifold problems of his country, and worked tirelessly in various high political circles to influence beneficial policies for the Philippines. Victoria, always the businesswoman, managed her various enterprises “long – distance” effectively, entertained family and friends from Manila, and wrote a priceless, insightful memoir that serves as insider, patrician Filipino social history from the early 1900s to the 1970s. Salvador passed away in 1982, Victoria followed in 1988; both were interred in Manila.

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8 Comments

ricardo m. ang said,

From 1962-64, I worked at Feati U, with Dr. Zara (my Boss) and I remember Mrs. Victoria Araneta (President) that we have to sing Christmas songs to her before she would handle to us our Christmas Bonus check. I really miss her. She is the best of all ladies I met.

Donna Fiore said,

Donna Fiore said,

When my dad was in WW2, he was stationed In the Philippines. He befriended a Philippine family and was godfather to their son. I have a picture of a boy 16 months old dated 1946 or 49. It says: “to my beloved godfather with love Vicky Lopez.” I’m not sure if it says Vicky, that’s what it looks like. If it’s Vicky, it has to be the mom. Well, we have lost touch with the family when my mother died. The family traveled to Spain alot. If I can find a place to post a picture of the child I will, but in the meantime, perhaps I would like to find the godchild; perhaps he may have pictures of my dad when he was there. My dad’s name was Frank Fiore. He has since passed.

Enrique Bustos said,

From The Book Araneta a Love Affair with God and Country
By Maria Lina Araneta-Santiago

When Victoria Lopez-Araneta was born she was given away to a very rich aunt Dona Maria Lopez the matriarch of the third generation of the Lopez clan because the custom during those days is to give or lend a child to someone in the clan who had a misfortune so it will put an end to the bad luck and bring in good luck Victoria Lopez -Araneta would sometimes sigh with regret and say I lost a fortune the day i was born because of a tooth i lost a great fortune because she was born with a tooth under her tongue which kept her crying all the time Dona Maria returned her the very day to her mother later Dona Maria had second thoughts but her mother Dona Ana refused to give her back.

When Victoria Lopez married Salvador Araneta the Araneta family did not heartily received her it said in order to impress the Araneta family Dona Ana Lopez had to build something impressive she then constructed the Admiral Apartments in Dewey Boulevard during those time the eight floor building was the tallest in Manila it was a seafarers landmark it was furnished in the same style as the house Victoneta it had theme rooms the main dinning room was called the Malayan Court it had an imposing painting by Antonio Dumlao the Cocktail Lounge was called the Coconut Grove the Spanish Room was the Reception room and the Blue Room a small private dinning room it was in this room Claire Booth Luce Ambassador of the United States of America to Italy wife of Time,Life and Fortune Publisher Henry Luce was honored with a Party

The Victoneta House of Victoria Araneta were furnished with European Decors purchased by Victoria Araneta during her trips to Europe she describe the situation in Europe during that time The Jews were desperate and dispose of as much a they could they were throwing silver from their windows she bought many items during World War II the situation in the Philippines became similar to those she saw in Europe she began selling these items she said there is a time and place for everything and these things had served their purpose she sold everything the curtains made of velvet ended up as Chinelas and Sapatillas she sold her gowns made by the three Lolitas Lolita Alfonso Lolita Soler and Lolita Munoz these and the Ramon Valera gowns provided capital for her business ventures this was the start of her being an Entrepreneur

Regina Lopez Araneta-Teodoro said,

In the process of preparing for her centennial celebration, it was such a pleasant surprise to find a notebook, an old Van Cleef & Arpels notebook at that, among mother’s handwritten diaries, that was totally devoted to her interaction with Carla, my second daughter. They had an undeniable close relationship as the little girl adored her grandmother and her Lola’s legacy to her was writing down all the antics and witticisms of that precocious child. Carla was quite something as a little girl, full of charm and she knew how to play her Lola to a T. I, too shall be forever grateful to VLA for that notebook as it enables me to relive Carla’s early childhood:
all those things she said and she did, she was one “terrible two”, I can always go back to when I need a cheer. It has kept her childhood forever “immortalized” in her grandmother’s written word.

Carla Teodoro Sylofski said,

Victoria Lopez Araneta is indeed an icon for all Filipinos and someone that I look to for guidance in how I lead my professional and personal life. In her later life, she was happiest being a loving, doting grandmother. She liked nothing more than spending a quiet Vancouver evening surrounded by her grandchildren – that is how I remember my Lola Vic. I am especially grateful for the pages of diary entries that she left behind in which she memorialized these later years and the time she spent with her grandchildren. My childhood seems so far away but I am so happy to have these written reminders of my life with my beloved Lola Vic.

Alexandra Laguda Sotto said,

Before multi-tasking became fashionable, rather part and parcel of business life, VLA was the ultimate multi-tasker. I admired how she can manage her businesses from her office in FEATI, talk sense, and at the same time sew.

Enrique Bustos said,

In 1937 and the years preceding World War II, Mrs. Victoria Lopez de Araneta was acknowledged as “the First Lady of Society.”

It was also the year when Pres. Manuel L. Quezon was advocating “social justice.” In response, Victoria started a free school. Soon after, her husband Salvador encouraged her to lead the way for the establishment of a preventorium for children of tuberculuos parents. “Promoting the White Cross is a great task and we really cannot cope with it taken as a whole but there is a story somewhere of a father who, dying, wanted to show his sons a lesson.”

“The dying man had three sons and one day he asked which of them could break a bundle of sticks. Try as they did, not one of them could. Finally they admitted their defeat. So the father smiled and untied the bundle and one by one easily broke the twigs and he was a dying man.”

Victoria passed away on Feb. 16, 1988. She leaves behind lessons and inspirations: her strong Catholic faith and her pioneering spirit and great love for country. at RFM, she was co-founder and treasurer. During her inauguration as president of FEATI University, she said: “The spring morning of FEATI cannot last forever. We shall pass on, but I pray that our good work will live after us.” Let those who follow us take constant inspiration.

For all these and Heaven too. Victoria will have an endless spring morning.